Litterbox Training

Rabbits have a natural instinct to drop their
urine and pellets in just one or at least only a few places, often in
corners or near their food. Finding an occasional "pill" of poop in
their food bowl is their way of marking it as their own. Once a
litterbox is being used inside the cage it will be a great tool for the
rabbit’s exercise area or even when it lives loose in your home. Some
rabbits litter train almost immediately and some take longer, but just
be patient and keep trying and you will succeed with most rabbits.

Keep
the rabbit and the boxes in one room at first to make things easier for
you and the rabbit. A small uncarpeted room is best, maybe a part of
the kitchen, hall, or bathroom. Then you can watch where it likes to
poop and put a box in that spot if possible. It is usually easier to
move the litter box to the area the rabbit prefers to use rather than
trying to get him to use your specified area. The first time or two
outside the cage the rabbit will most likely leave a few "pills" to mark
where they have been. This is normal and will most likely stop after
the first few times.

For the litter boxes, buy large cat litter boxes
or plastic dog baskets, or simply adapt plastic storage boxes. The key
is for the litter trays to have high sides but easy access. Bunnies
like to use the corner of the box but corner pans from pet stores are
often too small. You can often create a taller corner (90° angle 7”
high) out of various products (plastic file folder, tin foil wrapped
cardboard, small sheet of metal, etc.) and place it just inside the
litterbox in the rabbit’s favorite corner. Fill the boxes with a few
inches of non-toxic litter such as the commercial paper-based liters (for example, Yesterday's News). Compressed pellets such as those used in pellet wood stoves are another economical
option. Be sure not to use pine or cedar wood shavings or clumping cat
litter, as all can harm your rabbit and clump in their intestinal tract.

Put one litter box into the rabbit's cage or near its bed. If
it doesn't instinctively go to the box, put a few pellets and some
urine-soaked paper or bedding into the boxes so the rabbit will have
scent clues. Add a little timothy hay to one side of the box as rabbits
instinctively poop and eat at the same time; the hay will help to
entice the bunny into the box.

Clean up any urine or feces that are on
the floor with diluted white vinegar as soon as possible so that the
scent is gone and the rabbit isn't confused. If the bunny goes into the
litter box, give it praise and a little treat. The more your rabbit
associates the litter box with good feelings, the more it will want to
spend time in the box and mark it with urine and feces. If the rabbit
likes to lie in its box, that is a good thing, just keep it clean as
sitting on soiled bedding over a long period of time can scald the
bunny’s skin.

Whatever you do, be sure that the litter box is a happy
time for your rabbit. Don't grab your bunny and put it into the box if it
doesn't like to be handled, and don't scold your bunny if it messes on the
floor. Rabbits are prey species and behave differently than cats and
dogs. You don’t want to create a situation where the rabbit is afraid of the litterbox or even of you.

Remember that rabbits are creatures of habit, so once they get used to
what's supposed to happen, they'll be more likely to using the litter
box. Once your rabbit is using its box consistently, you can give it
more freedom in the house if you want. Just be sure to watch it, and if
you see the training starting to fail, put it back into the small area
for more practice. If a bunny has quit using the litterbox, and nothing
in your rabbit’s life has changed you should check with your vet to
consider a health-related cause.